While veteran RTS players may have some nits to pick with the relatively solid gameplay, those same fans of The Lord of the Rings series should find that the game shines as a playable re-creation of Tolkien's work.

It has more of what made the first game so outstanding and contains several improvements over its predecessor. For fans of the first game, this is a nearly perfect sequel.

There's not really all that much new content in Mario Party 6 save for the microphone novelty, but in the end the final product feels more polished and enjoyable than both previous efforts released on the GameCube.

Even the hidden cards, which seemed like a lame gimmick at first ended up being a, well, pretty cool gimmick. If you're a fan of Contra and its ilk, you should give this one a try.

Everything is just as wonderfully crafted, over-the-top crazy, and mouse-crushingly intense as it was in the full game. It's more Painkiller, and that's what you'd expect from an expansion, right?

The game's saving graces are its graphics and well-balanced races, and if you crave long backbreaking campaigns, you'll find plenty to keep you occupied here, but it's too bad that Black Hole couldn't have fleshed out the game's embryonic innovations to deliver something more daring and less imitative.

A disappointment. It completely breaks with the first game in everything but gameplay, and even that is sabotaged by annoying, repetitive level design.

Warrior Within proves that it takes more than just good combat and platforming to make a great game. Bottom line: The Warrior Within simply didn't have enough "Prince of Persia."

The game feels a bit rushed, as if it could have used a few months more in developments, particularly when it comes to balancing some of the combat.

Even with the minimal use of DS technology and the glaring gameplay omissions, Drill Spirits is a very fun game. It's definitely not the deepest game out there (and no, that wasn't meant to be a pun), but the simplicity is what makes it great.

A disappointment. It completely breaks with the first game in everything but gameplay, and even that is sabotaged by annoying, repetitive level design.

A disappointment. It completely breaks with the first game in everything but gameplay, and even that is sabotaged by annoying, repetitive level design.

Even by GBA standards, Final Fantasy I and II are primitive RPGs. However, if you can overlook their simple graphics and cliché-driven stories, the gameplay holds up remarkably well.

It takes the essence of the MMO experience, breaks it down into its component parts, and plays up all the fun elements while actively minimizing the boring or tedious aspects. World of Warcraft is the MMO that nearly everybody can enjoy, and is a shining example of the game developer's art.

Alexander isn't a matter of taste; it's a matter of functional incapacity. If you're looking to get your fix in this historical period, there are plenty better and recent arrivals.

A lackluster package of average single-player and slightly better multiplayer. Unless you're a huge and/or irrational Bond nut, it offers nothing that competing games don't do better.

It's got a simplicity and elegance that you just don't see in PC games anymore: It's pure gameplay, fun from the opening credits onward. As a player you'll be constantly engaged.

Or how about the single-player in general? It's boring, consisting mainly of shooting hundreds of uninteresting thugs. The baddies are supposed to be endowed with "Evil AI," but heck if I could tell. They just seemed dumb.

Unless you're a huge and/or irrational Bond nut, it offers nothing that competing games don't do better. That's a shame, because the premise is grand.

The fundamentals of gameplay are strong, but when you start getting into the details the roughness becomes increasingly apparent.

Its greatness holds up almost ten years later. It's a treat having an enhanced (both gameplay-wise and visually) version of the game that you can toss in your pocket and play on the go. This is easily the best launch title in the DS lineup.

In fact, one of the worst things you can say about an expansion pack is true of Escalation: it feels optional.

It's challenging, but never to the point of frustration; Sylvia makes for a great new character; and the implementation of the VFX Powers adds an extra dimension to what could have been nothing more than a simple punch-fest.

Most importantly, the gameplay feels just a bit looser and less controlled. That's not to say it fails -- it just could have been better.

While some serious camera and less serious interface problems keep it from perfection, Snake Eater is both an exciting return to form and the most successful fusion yet of video games with Hollywood-style storytelling.

Most importantly, the gameplay feels just a bit looser and less controlled. That's not to say it fails -- it just could have been better.

The racing action can be a kick, but it just doesn't compare to other racers -- gameplay or presentation-wise -- available for the system. The accent on racing also takes away from the story-driven RPG elements that made Road Trip so unique.

The Dynasty Mode is one of the best you'll see in an EA game, mostly because of the addition of the discipline system, which forces you to walk a fine line between getting the best players and running a clean program.